Rob Henry gets the starting nod at QB for Purdue

Posted by John Taylor on August 18, 2013, 6:32 PM EDT

AP

Finally, our long national nightmare is over as Purdue has settled on its player under center heading into the 2013 season.

Sunday evening, and a day after Saturday’s jersey scrimmage, head coach Darrell Hazell announced that Rob Henry has been named as the Boilermakers’ starting quarterback. Henry won the job following a competition with a pair of freshmen, Danny Etling and Austin Appleby.

Henry had been given the majority of reps with the first-team offense the past couple of weeks, so his re-ascension to the starting job is not exactly a surprise.

The naming of Henry as the starter is actually one of those feel-good comeback stories.

In 2010, and in place of an injured Robert Marve, Henry started seven of the 11 games in which he played. Expected to open the season as the starter the following season as Marve continued to recover from his ACL issues, Henry tore his ACL a week before the season opener and missed all of 2011. He returned in 2012 and appeared in 11 games, completing 21 of 38 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns.

ANd ND continues to want to play Purdue because that is a much easier game than playing Michigan. The public would rather they play Michigan, but with their upcoming “difficult” ACC teams on their schedule, ND needs to have a secure victory. And this is another reason many have disdain for the “Fighting Irish”.

Seriously you need to get a clue – ND is picking up Texas in 2015 when the Michigan series ends. When the Texas games were scheduled, it was an upgrade for ND’s schedule.

irishayes says:Aug 19, 2013 11:43 AM

gamecocker – wow — get your facts right before posting garbage. Purdue/ND is an in-state rivalry that goes back far longer and with much more history and tradition to it than does ND/Michigan. ND will continue to have top 10 most difficult schedule in the country DESPITE adding ACC games and dropping UM.

thegamecocker says:Aug 19, 2013 11:56 AM

All:
When was the last time Purdue beat ND? What is the series record between the two schools? I rest my case.

ccad05 says:Aug 19, 2013 12:32 PM

gamecocker , you should probably study up a bit more before you post so you can get your facts straight. fact is scUM ended the series not ND. Either way, your dumbass comment is in no way, shape, or form, relevant to this article.

florida727 says:Aug 19, 2013 3:45 PM

jdburke73 says: Aug 19, 2013 11:18 AM
Seriously you need to get a clue – ND is picking up Texas in 2015 when the Michigan series ends. When the Texas games were scheduled, it was an upgrade for ND’s schedule.

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You make it sound as though adding Texas is no longer an “upgrade”. Don’t kid yourself. Sports is cyclical as everyone knows. Texas will be back. I’m not a fan of theirs obviously, but I’d never underestimate a program with their type facilities and their tradition to eventually bounce back. I’d put Auburn in the same category. Down now? Yep. But those types of programs won’t stay down for long.

2007 19-33 Purdue won
But at least every other year since the games have been decided by a field goal. Interstate competitions are tough games, UCLA-USC, Stanford-Cal, etc. I recall many teams having great years only to be upended by their instate rival. Since when is the it is a rule that you drop someone from your schedule based on record. There are other factors for rivalries like traditions, loyalty, history, etc. Don’t think you are going to have much luck knocking NDs schedule. Anyway, this is about Purdue and they field a competitive team year in and year out. They are hardly a sure win for any of their opponents.

thegamecocker says:Aug 19, 2013 8:03 PM

What is the series record? Notre Dame 56 wins / Purdue 26 wins. In the last 8 years, ND has beaten Purdue 7 times. Since 1980, Purdue has beaten ND 8 times while losing 25 times. When I compare the wins and losses for Michigan and ND here is what I found: Michigan leads the series 23-16. Granted, ND and Purdue are in-state rivals and have played each other much longer. My point was simply the PUBLIC outside of the state of Indiana would prefer ND play Michigan. Here is a Brady Hoke comment:
“Brady Hoke took issue with Notre Dame’s decision to cut off the rivalry with Michigan after becoming a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference while continuing the Michigan State–Notre Dame and Notre Dame–Purdue rivalry games against other Big Ten Conference foes, going so far as to say Notre Dame was “chickening out”.[47] Given the apparent lopsided wins for ND vs. Purdue, I agree with Coach Hoke.

Oh, and what about Michigan State? Well ND leads that series 46-28. And the Irish want to continue playing them….obviously, the perception is ND wants no part of “BIG BLUE”. Like I said, I’d rather ND play a perennial power-house team than Purdue of Mich St.

Good point. I believe that Big Blue will be back on the schedule, but during this trying time of trying to schedule in 5 weak ACC teams which will surely water down it, somebody had to be dropped. I do not think they had a choice. Hoke better not regret those locker room words for this season.